Brighton based Indie phenom Mike Rosenberg, best known by his stage name Passenger is undoubtedly one of the most successful acts to rise out of the UK in the last decade.
Forever working on his craft, Passenger has recorded and released 10 albums in the last 11 years, with his most recent project being released in 2017. His 2016 album, “Young As The Morning Old As The Sea”, hit the charts at #1 in the UK and took Passenger on a journey around the world, performing to 1M+ fans across 29 countries. Racking up billions (yes you read that correctly) of streams across platforms, there is no doubt the the Ivor Novello Award-winning songwriter is a force to be reckoned with.
Now set to expand on his already impressive resume, it seems Passenger is ready to unleash his new album, “Runaway”, on August 31st. To set up the album, Passenger teamed up with long-time collaborator Jarrad Seng for a three week road trip across the US. The duo filmed promos for every track on the album, stopping everywhere from the Las Vegas strip to Death Valley, Monument Valley, Lombard Street in San Francisco, and New York’s High Line. The resulting footage is now as much a part of the album as the tunes themselves with Passenger admitting that the album is aesthetically North American. About the influence he says, “My dad is American. We used to go over every other summer when we were kids. I always loved it. I guess I was seduced by it a little bit. It was such a culture shock coming from England.”
Recorded between the UK and Australia with his co-producer, Chris Vallejo, “Runaway”, is already well on it’s way to being a classic project for multi-talented Passenger. The lead single, “Hell or High Water”, has already seen over 14M streams across platforms and continues to grow.
Keeping the heat on, Passenger quickly followed with what has become a staple song of my morning commute. While, “Heart to Love‘, may seem like a straight forward Indie Folk tune, it seems it has given Passenger some trouble since its inception. “‘Heart to Love’ is a song I’ve tried to record a few times and for whatever reason it just wouldn’t work,” says Passenger. “Finally we’ve recorded it in a way that it sounds exciting and how I always imagined it. It’s a simple song really, about trying to find the right person, which is probably something that everyone can relate to.”
With just over a week until the albums release and the start of his world tour, Passenger isn’t done yet. As if people weren’t excited enough, he has just unleashed a new single and video for, “To Be Free”, a down tempo piano driven jam that is as introspective as it is thought provoking. About the tune he offers, “To Be Free’ is a very important song for the record and also to me personally, as it’s about my grandparents. They were Jewish refugees who went to America after the war finished, settling in Vineland, New Jersey. It’s a long and tragic story, and I never thought I’d write a song about it. But it just came out.”
For me, there are only a handful of people who can express themselves on the same level as Passenger. Between his incredible ability to tell a story and his his penchant for writing touching, memorable, heart wrenching melodies – there is really no wonder as to why he has seen the success that he has. A true master of his craft, the singles released for his new album are more than enough to get me excited for what’s to come. Make sure you pre-order the project today and get all of the singles instantly. Check out his tour dates below and make sure that you check him out if he comes to a city near you.
Headline European Tour:
Aug 29 Edinburgh, Queens Hall (SOLD OUT)
Aug 30 Glasgow, Barrowlands*
Sept 1 Dublin, Vicar Street
Sept 2 Belfast, Ulster Hall
Sept 4 Manchester, Albert Hall (SOLD OUT)
Sept 5 Birmingham, O2 Institute (SOLD OUT)
Sept 8 London, Roundhouse (SOLD OUT)
Sept 9 Brighton, Dome (SOLD OUT)
Sept 15 Munich, Tonhalle
Sept 17 Zurich, Volkshaus
Sept 18 Milan, Alcatraz
Sept 21 Copenhagen, VEGA
Sep 22 Stockholm, Göta Lejon
Sept 24 Berlin, Astra
Sept 26 Amsterdam, AFAS Live (SOLD OUT)
Sept 27 Cologne, Live Music Hall (SOLD OUT)
Sept 29 Antwerp, Trix (SOLD OUT)
Sept 30 Paris, YOYO
Headline North America Tour:
Oct 13 Nashville Cannery Ballroom
Oct 14 Atlanta Buckhead Theatre
Oct 16 Washington 9.30 Club
Oct 18 New York Brooklyn Steel
Oct 19 Boston Paradise Rock Club (SOLD OUT)
Oct 21 Montreal Corona Theatre (SOLD OUT)
Oct 23 Toronto Phoenix Concert Theatre (SOLD OUT)
Oct 25 Minneapolis First Avenue
Oct 27 Denver Gothic Theatre
Oct 30 Vancouver Vogue Theatre
Oct 31 Seattle Showbox @ The Market
Nov 2 Portland Crystal Ballroom
Nov 4 San Francisco The Fillmore
Nov 6 Los Angeles The Belaboo
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